S. Korea's 2 millionth patent marked with Cheong Wa Dae event

SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea marked the issuance of its 2 millionth patent certificate with a special Cheong Wa Dae ceremony Thursday amid a trade fight against Japan.

The Moon Jae-in administration has sought to accelerate a drive to help enable local businesses to rely less on Japan for the supply of high-tech materials, parts and equipment since Japan launched retaliatory export restrictions.

"The problem is sort of a fight over technology hegemony involving technology patents," Moon said, as he signed the certificate of South Korea's 2 millionth patent. He also put his signature on that of the millionth design registration in person.

He bestowed the patent certificate on the CEOs of Orum Therapeutics, a local biotech company, and the design one on software developer HHS. Two South Korean professors, who have developed related technologies, were also in attendance.

Moon noted the rapid increase in the number of patents in South Korea, with the patent system introduced in 1946. It has become the world's seventh nation with 2 million certificates after the United States, France, Britain, Japan, Germany and China. Currently, Moon said around 210,000 new patents are registered a year.

"But there are still a lot of tasks," especially in terms of "quality," the president said, stressing the need to commercialize more original technologies on materials and components.

While South Korea's patent and design registration certificates are issued by the Korean Intellectual Property Office, Cheong Wa Dae had the symbolic ceremony to mark the special occasion.

It was meant to highlight the importance of technology innovation, based on intellectual property, amid the spread of trade disputes, such as the U.S.-China trade dispute and Japan's export curbs, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Ko Min-jung.